Das
Alpen Café,
Rincón, Puerto Rico
$$$$$
 |
| Dinner Salad |
Rincón is better known for big waves, deeply
tanned surfers, and pizza joints than it is for fine dining and Das Alpen Café
will not change that image. At the Southwest end of the plaza in heart of
downtown Rincón, the restaurant is unassuming and having arrived on Three Kings
Day (Puerto Rico’s second Christmas) we were not sure it was even open for
business based on the sparseness of furnishings inside. If they were going for
a minimalist look, they were highly successful.
We arrived shortly after six two nights later
and beside the hostess and a waiter, we were the only people in sight. The
hostess sat us and quickly returned to her dinner at the bar while typing away
on her cell phone. The only thing in the room that looks Bavarian is the flag
hanging in front of the kitchen entrance, the tables few and uncovered, and the
music a light jazz with no resemblance to anything either Italian or German as
is advertised.
 |
| Potato Leek Soup ($3.50) and Goat Cheese Tart ($8) |
Our server, Jeffrey, was very nice and attentive.
I ordered a stout ($9.50), one of only two draught beers on the menu and the
closest thing to a Warsteiner Dunkle available and one of the most expensive
beers I have consumed, including at overpriced airports. We started with the
savory goat cheese tart (described as goat cheese with caramelized onions and
basil - $8) and a cup of “crème of potatoes and leek soup” ($3.50). The soup
quickly arrived and, while reasonably tasty, was lukewarm and could have used a
garnish to add some color. We had to ask for bread, but by the time it finally
arrived what was left of my soup was long cold. The tart was an utter
disappointment. Looking more like a small, sad piece of quiche than a tart, it
had obviously been “nuked” with the soggy crust separating from the filling and
no caramelized onions or basil in sight.
 |
| Jägerschnitzel - $20 |
I had the Jaeger Schnitzel, described as “Hunters
Schnitzel, a pork cutlet with white wine and cream reduction with bacon and
wild mushroom served with red cabbage and homemade bread dumplings”. As a schnitzel
lover, I have eaten schnitzel dozens of times throughout Germany, Austria,
Hungary, Slovenia, and the United States, I was surprised by the size of the
cutlet and not in a good way. German schnitzel normally covers a large plate,
but the red cabbage dwarfed this one, yet looking massive next to “the” lone
dumpling (not “dumplings” as was described on the menu). A little bigger than a
Swedish meatball, I had to ration the little dumpling to make it last as long
as possible. The hunter sauce was good, a bit too salty, with small pieces of
mushroom, minced onion, and bacon, but barely enough to cover the cutlet and
none leftover for the dumpling or bread, which was being rationed three small
pieces at a time.
 |
| Forest Schnitzel - $20 |
My wife ordered the Forest Schnitzel, a “pork cutlet
with Marsala wine and mushroom sauce served with red cabbage and homemade bread
dumpling”. Again, the cutlet was small in comparison to every other schnitzel I
have ever had, but the Marsala sauce was very good, light, and slightly sweet
from the reduction of this fruity wine from the small town in Sicily where it
gets its name. She also received one dumpling, slightly larger than mine, and
left most of her red cabbage which was sweet and acidic as Bavarian red cabbage
should be, but overcooked and soggy.
Das Alpen Café attempts to appear “gourmet”
with large prices and small portions, but fails to deliver. German food in
general and schnitzel in particular is meant to be consumed in large portions
with an abundance of sauce and mushrooms, a large portion of potatoes or
spaetzel, and nothing red or soggy on the plate. Granted, Rincón is a tourist
area and prices are expected to be a bit higher than small fishing villages
like Punta Santiago, but Das Alpen Café left me uninspired in terms of TravelValue.
CombatCritic Gives Das Alpen Café 6 Out of 10
Bombs … BOMBS ARE GUT!
Key Words: Das Alpen Café, alpen, café, Rincón,
Ricon, Puerto Rico, puerto, rico, German, Italian, food, dinner, tart,
schnitzel, Jaeger, CombatCritic, TravelValue
Jaeger
(Jäger) Schnitzel Recipe
Schnitzel
1-pound thin veal or pork cutlets
1/2-teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/3-cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1-cup fine, dry bread crumbs
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Sauce
1 lb. Mushrooms, washed and cut into bite-size
slices
2-3 slices bacon, sliced into small pieces
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2-cup vegetable, beef, or chicken broth
1/2-cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon dried thy
A small bunch parsley, finely chopped
Extra milk as needed
Season each cutlet with salt and pepper (both
sides) and let stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. You will need 3 plates, adding flour to the
first, eggs to the second, and breadcrumbs to the third. Arrange the plates in
a row, close to the stove. Heat the butter and oil in a large, heavy skillet or
pan over moderately high heat for about 2 minutes. Coat each cutlet with flour,
dunk it in the eggs, and then coat it with breadcrumbs, putting the coated
cutlet immediately into the hot skillet. Cook each side for about 3 minutes or
until each side is a deep golden brown. Remove the schnitzel and place it on a
plate lined with paper towels to absorb any extra grease and keep warm in the
oven.
Using the same pan as you made the schnitzel
in, fry the mushrooms until they begin releasing water. Remove them from the
pan and set aside. Add a little butter to the same pan, add onions
and bacon, and cook until the onions begin to brown. Add the mushrooms back to the pan, then add the broth, cream, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring mixture up to
a simmer and continue until liquid has noticeably reduced (about
15-20 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Stir milk into the sauce until the sauce
reaches the desired consistency (shouldn't be too thin).
Remove pan from heat, stir in 2/3 of the chopped parsley, and add salt and
pepper as needed. To serve, place a schnitzel on a plate and top
with the sauce, sprinkling some chopped parsley over the sauce and serve with
pan-fried potatoes or spaetzel (spätzel) … ENJOY!
